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I would love to share with you our travels and adventures as international
consultants. About living in Italy, the Veneto area near Venice; in Indonesia,
central Java. Why we love the southeast of the United States and moved back from
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also do classes and consulting... too much to list here! Check out my google.com/+MarietteVandenMunckhofVedderABOUT page, where you see my other LINKS and email address; you just scroll down.Thanks!

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bring back some romance and quality to the daily life of others...

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Wednesday, March 4, 2015

{March 2, 1809 and My French Connection}

While working with husband Pieter in Australia in June of 1988, I did visit my uncle Louis (Dad's younger brother) and aunt Gerd in Broken Hill, NSW. Pieter had a program at the university of Melbourne on Saturday, so he dropped me off at the airport on Saturdaymorning and I flew solo.

Talking about our family heritage, my uncle Louis handed me three copies he had from a distant relative. We had been talking about the French influence in our southernmost province of The Kingdom of The Netherlands; Limburg. Napoleon Bonaparte ruled the French Empire, including The Netherlands.

Strasbourg 2 March 1809

French Empire

The mayor of the city of Strasbourg Department of the Lower Rhine

To Sir Mayor of the municipality of Horst Department of the Roer

Sir,

According to the article 80 of the Napoleon code, I have the honor to pass on to you a copy of the death certificate of Pierre Van Munckoff who died at the military hospital of this city and who had his place of residence of right in your municipality.

I have the honor to greet you

The officer of the State – Civilian

Pierre, was the elder brother of my great great great Grandfather and he died at the age of 19. There was another brother, Nicolaus, who was younger than Pierre who got dismissed from war, due to wounds. He did live to be 66.

This is the extract of the registers of death certificate for Pierre van Munckoff and below is the copy of the envelope. Funny for receiving this while in Australia at work and visiting an uncle...

My Dad gave it to me on my 50th birthday.
Fred did contact my Dad for the info and that did not work out very well...
Dad told Fred over the phone: Peter Fedder instead of Pieter Vedder and he did NOT mention our adopted daughter Liz...

Since there are no other Van den Munckhofs in the USA, I was keen enough to keep my maiden name as I am very proud of it.

Hello Mariette, You are lucky to have these precious family documents. With so much moving around over the centuries, it is amazing that any of these survive, let alone enough to reconstruct a family history. Last summer, I came across my grandparents' marriage certificate, and realized that these scattered family documents should be collected together, and scanned or photographed for the benefit of whoever might be interested.--Jim

Dearest Jim,Oh we all are very fortunate for still having so much reference to go to for compiling such a family history from 1560 on. You are so right about scanning and photographing such family documents for future generations to have access to.Kindest regards,Mariette

How fascinating and exciting! I love exploring family history and am so glad that you have found this part of yours. Funny enough I have kept my maiden name also because I like it, and am proud to be my Father's daughter and last relative. xx

Deaerst Mariette,Your husband Pieter with you at Australia 1988. Pieter has university at Melbourne.You has uncle Louis Younger brother. all of your reconstruct a family history.Hugs and Love of both of you!Michiko

Dearest Michiko,Yes, we have been a few times for consulting work in Australia, wish we had known you then...Pieter had to give a program for the Melbourne University indeed and I flew solo to my uncle and aunt in Broken Hill, N.S.W.Sending you hugs and love from both of us!Mariette

Dearest Tamago,Yes, that is indeed WOW when you look at all the information from 1560 on! Who knows do you too have some more information about your family tree. Would be a treasure to have.Hugs,Mariette

This was a fascinating post!! We are connected in more ways than I thought. My Great Great Great Grandmother (I think I have added enough "Greats") on my Mother's side was from Amsterdam, fell in love with a General in Napoleon's army, married him and after Napoleon's final defeat, they moved to the United States with their 11 children. I still have her husband's humidor w/the Napoleonic crest and her cookbook in Dutch.

Dearest Marie-Thérèse,Thank you, it was quite an adventure for getting this precious information from my uncle in Australia while working there... What a precious information you have on your Dutch connection and that humidor and cookbook are for sure a treasure!Hugs,Mariette

Dearest Mariette; How wonderful to be able to have these precious document and know your family history☆☆☆ I think Not Many people can get back that long back, happy for you to have this luck.Wishing you care-free happy March and coming spring, Dear friend.

Sending Lots of Love and Hugs from Japan to my Dear friend in America, xoxo Miyako*

Dearest Miyako,Guess this only came together because my family remained pretty much in the same region. If they are scattered all over the world, it becomes harder to go back in time.Love the care-free happy March concept and I sure embrace that!Hugs and love to you from Georgia, USA.Mariette

Dear Mariette, Yes, it is indeed wonderful to have these keepsakes of your family's history! They are beautiful to behold and a true connection to your ancestry, It was so nice that you were able to visit your Uncle in Australia and that he gifted you with these! It is also wonderful that you have your ancestry dating back to the 1500's. In this time of families living in all corners of the world, separated from one another, it is especially important to hold on to our history. We find a true understanding of who we are! Wishing you a lovely week. Hugs xo Karen

Dearest Karen,Oh sure this is a wonderful thing to have! That way we can partly bring the past come alive for understanding where we came from. We would have loved to visit my uncle and aunt together but after our week's work, Pieter still had to give a presentation at the University of Melbourne, so I went alone. Glad I did however as it is rare for being able to visit coming from 2 continents. Yes, knowing the fabric of which our families were woven from gives us all a very healthy insight in who we are today!Enjoy your week and hope spring is advancing the way it does here at the moment.Hugs,Mariette